Sunday, March 16, 2008

The Brooklyn Bridge


We had seen the Brooklyn Bridge countless times in movies and documentaries, so we were determined to invest some time and energy in crossing the one mile span by foot. We had recently enjoyed the movie, "Kate and Leopold," (one more of Meg Ryan's movies on my favorites list). It was a beautiful afternoon as we headed over and our destination was the restaurant on the Brooklyn side, under the bridge called "The River Cafe." The walkway is thankfully on a boardwalk above the traffic, so there's no stress about being run over by anyone! The views of Manhattan, the East River and Brooklyn surrounded us as we imagined being there when it was new in 1883, which at that time was the largest suspension bridge in the world! We learned that it took six-hundred workmen 16 years to build this magnificent bridge designed by John A. Roebling and was the first to be built of steel and so far had lasted 120 years! We enjoyed the views and people who passed us and arrived winded, tired and hungry at the front door of the cafe only to be told they had just finished serving lunch and dinner wouldn't be served for another couple of hours. So we enjoyed the gorgeous flowers that filled the foyer, soaking up the ambience. Still hungry, we headed next door to a quaint old house that serves homestyle ice cream and filled our ache with sweets! We strolled through a nearby neighborhood of vintage homes and then decided to take a water taxi back to Manhattan and give our weary feet a rest, which also ended up being a fun way to travel. We departed the taxi near Pier 17, giving us a chance to explore the pier and the South Street Seaport area, showcasing the wide contrast between cobblestoned streets and skyscrapers looming in the background. Oh, how I love New York!

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